Chapter 20
STELLA
I had thought the hard part was over until I was sitting across from my boys, contemplating how to tell them that their lives were going to change forever.
The past weekend had been overwhelming, collecting all my evidence, discussing options with the board. And how could I ever forget laying everything on my dad?
He was still pissed at me, rummaging around the house, mumbling under his breath on a continuous tangent.
Dad wasn’t angry that I’d kept my plans a secret; he was saddened that I didn’t trust him enough to lean on him for support.
But by the colourful threats vomiting from his mouth, I knew I had made the right decision.
Let’s just say Felix was lucky he was incarcerated—for his own safety.
“Mum, you wanted to talk?” Eli asked, game controller sitting vacantly in his hand as Phoenix jumped on the sofa next to him.
I grabbed Phoenix and cuddled him in my lap. “No jumping! It’s not a trampoline.”
When he calmed, I looked at my big boy, my soulful eleven-year-old who had seen more than he should have.
“We’re going to live here from now on, with Grandpa…”
“Okay.”
“Okay?”
“We’ve been here for weeks now, Mum.” Eli shrugged, the nonchalant gesture not quite convincing, due to the tense hold of his shoulders.
“Eli… your dad and me,” I said. You can do this. “We’re getting a divorce.”
My boy didn’t flinch or cry. He just sat there silently, staring at the floor as if it held all the answers to his unspoken questions.
“It’s a decision we came to on our own. But I want you to know we love you both so much. You two are the only ones who matter.” I finished by pressing a kiss to Phoenix’s hair before he struggled to get down.
Once he had raced off, I made the move to sit next to Eli and cuddled him closely into my side.
My brave boy was shaking, his mind racing. Minutes ticked by as I let Eli gather his thoughts. I wanted him to be open, to never be afraid to ask me anything.
“Did he hurt you, Mum?” he whispered into my neck.
“Very much.”
“…He hurt me, too.”
“I know, baby. I know.” Just when I thought my heart couldn’t break any further, that statement alone justified everything I had set into motion.
“Your father is going through a lot right now, bud. But give it a bit of time, and everything will work out, alright? I’m here for you.
Grandpa is here for you. Phoenix is here for you. ”
Right on cue, Phoenix sprinted back into the living room, with black marker all over his face. He held the trophy up high, squealing in glee.
Eli chuckled, and I grumbled. “You go left, and I’ll go right. Hopefully, he hasn’t drawn a mural on Grandpa’s walls.”
We counted down from three, then bolted upright, chasing the wee heathen around the house.
After five minutes of a solid game of tag, we finally caught him. We were all sprawled in a tangled mess on the carpet when Eli gave me his bright face. “I’m glad you left, Mum. You deserve better. We all do.”
My eyes began to burn. “You two will always come first. Always.”
He just gave a nod in acknowledgement, then proceeded to tickle his brother, filling the house with laughter and love.
Our conversation had been brief, yet monumental. We had a trying time ahead of us, but I knew we would be okay. My boys would be okay. And for the first time in two straight months, I finally believed it.
Knock. Knock.
“Get the door, would you, Stella?” Dad screamed from his room as I turned off the stove. I was covered in flour and icing—the remnants of baking cupcakes with a toddler who held nil restraint.
Without checking the peephole, I opened the front door and was immediately hit with regret.
Logan pushed past me with little more than a grunt in search of Eli. Curtis stood on the landing, looking more edible than my freshly baked desserts.
He wore a tight black tee with dark jeans, his thick shades shielding his eyes from the sun that hit his skin just right.
“You’ve got a little something on your face there, Smelly Stella,” he said with mirth, before he rubbed his thumb against the corner of my mouth.
I was struck dumb, my brain scrambling for words that would make any kind of sense. I couldn’t find any.
“I smell,” I blurted, horror coating my face as realisation sank in. I was still in my pyjamas and hadn’t even showered yet. Hence my word vomit that came out like some pubescent teen without a clue.
Curtis chuckled, and as he went to push past, I caught his whisper, “You smell good to me… like sugar.” Oh my god. Is it hot? It is definitely hot. “Tell me there’s some cupcakes left…” he finished, before venturing further in the house, while I immediately combusted on the spot.
What just happened?
As I went to veer for the bathroom to make myself somewhat respectable, a scream from the doorway made me flinch.
Running up the driveway was my best friend, Daisy, her petite frame lagging from the two gigantic suitcases she dragged behind her.
Without any hesitance, she dumbed the bags in the doorway and enveloped me in a crushing hug.
“Huh? How are you here?” I stammered, happiness sinking into my voice as her signature flowery smell infected my lungs. She’s here. She’s real.
“Your daddy organised it, of course. That man has a good head on his shoulders, and I bet a good head between his—”
“Alright, thanks for stopping by. You’ve overstayed your welcome.”
“Fine. I’ll lay off the daddy talk.”
I groaned. “Please, do us all a favour and don’t ever call him that again.”
Then, my little firecracker of a friend pulled out of our prolonged embrace, her gaze catching on and slowly dissecting my dishevelled state. “Oh, honey, this just won’t do. Lucky I came prepared.”
“Prepared for what?”
She winked. “Your divorce party.”
“Daisy,” I said in warning, knowing her definition of party was a lot different from mine.
“Don’t worry, babe. I’ve got everything covered.”
That was what I was worried about.